From Dave Gaider of Bioware:
"In celebration, I'll just say that both hawks and falcons are in the game (though these are the only birds I've seen), and while both of them are either familiars or animal companions, I'm not sure which is which."

I bet, as in BG2, they will hover 5' above ground and have to cross rivers via bridges. Still, a hovering bird is better than none, eh?

Nice.

cool

Maybe just maybe the birds will actually be able to land on your arm, that would be cool. Or maybe they could make them relly cool and let us ride them... yah right, like that will ever happen. any how sounds cool, now people will be able to add some wildlife to games

I think they can't "walk" except on the..."walkable" areas. (My vocabulary died today.) Maybe they'll actually be HELPFUL familiars? ;)

I think they wont be "real" just decorations that swirls around the screen like rain and snow.

No, they will be real enough. You should even be able to 'see' through their eyes if you have one as familiar.
It's clouds of butterflies that will be placeable objects - ie eye candy.

Actually there's an error there; ravens, not hawks, are in. He corrected it later.